Akron Zoo hosting 'Pumpkin Palooza' this Halloween

A Galapagos Tortoise takes a big bite into its pumpkin. (Source: Akron Zoo)

A Sumatran Tiger destroys -- enjoys its pumpkin. (Source: Akron Zoo)

AKRON, OH (WOIO) - What does the Akron Zoo do with hundreds of pumpkins after its Boo at the Zoo event? Gives them to the animals for enrichment!

The Akron Zoo will host an Enrichment Day, Pumpkin Palooza on Halloween from 10:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. During the event, animals will be given pumpkins to smash, eat, roll and play with as part of their enrichment throughout the day.

Visitors will be able to see enrichment given to the penguins, lemurs, snow leopards, sloth bear, otters, grizzly bears, red wolves and more. Click here for a schedule of events.

Enrichment is anything given to the animals to stimulate their natural behaviors. Although the zoo does enrichment on a daily basis, Enrichment Days give the animal care staff an opportunity to showcase to the public what they do for the animals.

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